Description

The obverse shows the coat of arms of the issuing nation as well as its name, weight, and fine content.

The reverse features a high-relief Ichthyosaur, based on a real fossil, on a silver coin with rose gold finish. In addition to the year of issue, the inscriptions EVOLUTION OF LIFE, ICHTHYOSAURIA, and TRIASSIC PERIOD are engraved on the silver edition, EVOLUTION and ICHTHYOSAURIA on the gold edition.

Story

Mary Anning was only 12 years old when she discovered the first complete Ichthyosaur skeleton in the English county Dorset in 1811. The experience left a lasting impression on her – it was the beginning of a lifelong passion for fossils and paleontology. The “fish lizard” (so goes the literal translation of the Greek word) had been unheard of prior to her discovery. Due to the animal’s resemblance to the dolphin, it was soon correctly identified as a marine reptile, which had developed from its saurian precursors during the Triassic, around 250 million years ago.

Up until some 90 million years ago the Ichthyosaur populated the oceans of the Mesozoic, feeding on fish, sea turtles, and ammonites. For Mongolia, Coin Invest Trust dedicates the “Ichthyosaur” coin in its Evolution of Life series to this fascinating animal.

Meteorite Impact – Chergach

Description

The obverse features the Ian Rank-Broadley portrait of Elizabeth II of England next to a breakthrough, as well as the name of the issuing nation, nominal value, and the year of issue.

Due to the ragged relief, the reverse looks like a crater with a breakthrough in the centre.

Story

Desert nomads in the Erg Chech, near Taoudenni in Mali, witnessed a spectacular event in early July 2007. Accompanied by loud detonations and clouds of smoke, a meteorite hit the earth, spreading 100 kg of rock over a 20-km-long strewn field. The meteorite, today known as Chergach, belongs to the class of chondrites, composed of the oldest and heaviest elements of our solar system. Encased in the rock mass are not only metals but also countless small silicate grains.

A real fragment of this meteorite is embedded in each of the Chergach Meteorite coins, designed by CIT for the Cook Islands. Just like the spectacular Tamdakht Meteorite Strike from 2016, the Chergach coin is a deliberate overstrike. Compared to its predecessor the concave deformity is even more pronounced, making it appear as if having countless cracks. The coin imitates a meteorite impact and its resulting crater.

The coins combine several minting technologies. First, a convex-concave coin is deliberately overstruck to create a breakthrough which imitates the impact. The realization of that alone is technically very challenging. After creating the overstrike, which is responsible for the natural-looking crater landscape, a special finish is applied on the crater side of the coin, enhancing the plasticity of the representation.

The exciting obverse is not simply produced in proof-like quality but, in a complex technical process, made to evoke the slightly grainy texture of the warm, golden Sahara sand.